The best free office software can offer an alternative platform to the more familiar Word, PowerPoint and Excel apps of Microsoft Office. For most users, Microsoft formerly known as Office remains the original and best office suite, and it takes matters further with an online version that offers cloud backups and mobile use as required.
Microsoft have now extended their brand to Windows, in the form of Windows , a way of accessing your files on a majority of devices from the cloud. However, over the years other companies have released rival office suites to help with productivity , some of which is paid-for and some of which is free - sometimes with the same company offering both.
All of these alternatives to Microsoft Office offer a similar range of software applications, mainly based on creating and editing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. However, while most offer the ability to work with traditional Microsoft Office documents, do be aware that not all will preserve formatting when exporting from or into Microsoft Office, which can be a problem when sending documents between different programs.
Even still, for home users and new businesses, the idea of being able to create, edit, manage, and organize office documents without incurring costs can be very welcome. Microsoft's desktop software carries a subscription fee, but the company has noticed the threat posed by Google Workspace formerly G Suite and created its own set of free online apps.
If you generally use Microsoft document formats, Office Online is a brilliant choice. Unlike Google's free office suite, it doesn't need to convert your files before you can work on them, and you can share them easily through your Microsoft OneDrive account.
Just log in using your Microsoft account the same one you use to log into Windows 10 and you're ready to go. Read our full Microsoft Office review. While Google Docs is, thanks to the strength of its brand, probably more widely used, Zoho Workplace is very good in its own right. It's certainly closer to a desktop office package, and it's strong enough to have attracted businesses like the BBC and Nike as regular users. Zoho's new-look word processor which ditches the classic Word-style interface in favour of a formatting sidebar is very well-presented and capable of producing professional-looking docs, and it has a sterling spreadsheet and reasonable presentation package alongside it.
They're just the tip of the iceberg, however — Zoho Workplace includes a powerful site creation tool, a file management solution and many collaborative tools. Some are on the simplistic side, so they'll likely not replace anything you might already have in place, but if you're starting out as a small business Zoho is probably a good jumping-off point. If you want to signup for the free version of Zoho Workplace you need to search the pricing page for the "Forever free" plan.
However, there's no one-click set up or access, and instead you have to go through a sign up process that begins by providing details of an existing business domain. Read our full Zoho Workplace review. If you own a Samsung phone, you might already be familiar with the mobile version of Polaris Office. They also have fewer features than the full Microsoft versions. There are still a number of benefits, however, including the ability to share links to your work and collaborate in real time, similar to what G Suite tools allow.
If you're looking for basic versions of each of these apps, the free version should work well for you. For more, check out all of the best new features in Windows 11 , what you need to know about upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and how to download Windows 11 for free. Stay current on the latest Microsoft news, plus reviews and advice on Windows PCs. CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission.
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Download our free PDF editor also. But despite its deep roots and reknown, as well as its comprehensive array of offerings, Office is not necessarily the best option for everyone. Fortunately, free office suites abound, many of which are compatible with Microsoft Office docs. We compared six of the most popular free alternatives to see how well they replicate the most commonly used features of Microsoft Office.
Built around its own versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, it offers excellent compatibility with all Microsoft Office formats and features a customizable interface that can be tailored to your preference for either the ribbon toolbar or the static menus of Office
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